Storage battery inspection lamp



Sept. 27, 1932. 1. E. COFFEY 1,879,097

STORAGE BATTERY INSPECTION LAMP Filed Feb. 13, 1951 Patented Sept. 27,1932 UNITED stares IRVEN E. GOFFEY, OF SANTA ANA; CALIFORNIA STORAGEBATTERY INSPECTION LAM]? Application filed February 13, 1931. Serial No.515,549.

My invention relates to a storage battery inspection lamp, the purposeof which is to have a small lamp illuminated by the electric currentfrom a storage battery which may be connected between the oppositeterminals or poles of any one of the cells of a multiple cell battery,and the lamp positioned to shine the light either in the battery fillingopening to observe the level of the acid solution therein or to observea reading on a hydrometer or other instruments such as a volt meter orammeter.

Another object and feature of my invention is having the lamp pivotallymounted on conductor legs which are adapted to ens gage the oppositepoles of abattery cell whereby the lamp with a suitable reflector may beswung, for instance, on a horizontal axis in reference to theseconducting legs and, hence, position the lamp at any desired suitablepoint to give the proper illumination.

Another object and feature of my invention is the construction of asupport or a lamp mounting attached to the conductor legs whereby theelectric current from these legs will be conducted from the two contactsof the lamp, one of these contacts usually being on the screw threadedexterior and the other on the terminal end of the lamp.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing,in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my invention as applied to the storagebattery with the lamp housing tilted;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig.3, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken in the di-' two conducting legs 11 and12, which are formed of strips of metal. These have gripping jaws 13 atthe bottom which are formed of lower and upper sections 1 1 and 15,these being preferably curved as indicated in Fig. 4, and sharpened onthe edge 16 to engage the opposite poles 17 and 18 of a batterydesignated at 19. r I

The lamp housing 20 has two side straps or pieces 21 and 22and a topsection 23 which is illustrated as being formed integral with the side21. These sides are formed channel shaped, each having a web p'ortionY24 and marginal flanges 25. The lower portions 26 have the flangesremoved and are connected to the conducting legs by pivot rivets 27,these pivots being diametrically opposite and in horizontal alignmentwhenthe device is located as indicated in Fig. 1. The top 23 is alsochannel shaped and has an end portion 28. 1

Attached to the side strap 22 there is a reflector 29 illustrated asbeing curved with the concave side turned toward the pivoting line ofthe legs on the lamp housing. This has a conducting lamp socket 30formed therein. An insulating strip 31 is placed on top of thisreflectorand engages-the marginal or flange edges of the top 23. The top and thereflector are secured together by bolts 32, which bolts have insulatingbushings 33, thus insulating the top23 from the reflector 29. This tophas a slight bulged section 34 which engages with the end contact 35 ofthe lamp bulb, the socket 30 engaging thescrewthreaded section 86 of thelamp bulb.

By this construction the legs may have the jaws 13 mounted on thebattery engaging the sides of the battery poles which face each other,and as these legs are formed of a spring metal with a vertically outwardbend, due to the rigidity of the side straps and of the lamp housing ingeneral, give a iirm support. The rivets are sufliciently tight to givea frictional resistance to the rotation of the lamp housing on the legsso that the housing may be tilted into various positions in reference tothe legs. For instance, it may be tilted to a position at rightangles tothe legs as illustrated in Fig.1 or in alignment with the legs asillustrated in Figs. 2 and'3, or at anyintermediate" angle. v The lamphousing may be thus positioned to project the light from the lampthrough the filler 37 ofthe battery cell and thus showthe height of theacid solution in the battery, or the lamp housing may be positioned, forinstance, as shown in Fig. 1, to illuminate the scale on the hydrometerused in testing the battery for the specific gravity of the solution. Itis obvious that the light may be shifted for use on any of the cells ofthe battery and thus each inclividual cell may be readily illuminatedfor tests. Usually, however, a single mounting in the center issufficient to illuminate all of the cells of a three cell battery. It isalso obvious that the device may be used to illuminate the scale onelectrical instruments, such as volt meters and ammeters.

One of the features in making the jaws 13 with upper and lower sectionsand having these concave is to enable good contacts to be made with theterminals of different cells of a battery or with the terminals of oneof the cells and a battery pole, either the prongs at the ends of thecurve cutting into the material of the battery terminal or the sharpenededges forming this connection. In addition, the feature of having theupper and lower sections gives a twopoint connection for each of thelegs and supports these legs with sufiicient rigidity to hold the lamphousing in any adjusted position.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A storage battery inspection lamp comprising in combination a lamphousing having a lamp mounted therein and with depending side straps, aleg pivotally connected to each side strap by aligned pivots, each legbeing resilient and having a jaw at its lower end, the said jaws onaccount of their resilient legs tending to move outwardly and adapted togrip a battery terminal and form a support for the housing, each leg andeach side strap forming an electrical connection, and a connection fromeach side strap to the opposite terminals of the lamp.

2. A storage battery inspection lamp as claimed in claim 1,0ne of theside straps having a concave reflector connected thereto with a lamppositioned in the cent-er of such reflector.

3. A storage battery inspection lamp comprising in combination a lamphousing have a pair of side straps, each strap having a top section,onepositioned below the other, the top sections and the side straps beinginsulated one from the other, said top sections forming a support andelectrical connection for the electric lamp, each "side strap having apivot, the pivots being in axial alignment, and each pivot havingaresilient leg frictionally connected thereto, each leg having anoutwardly extending jaw with sharpened gripping edges to engage abattery terminal.

4:. A storage battery inspection lamp as claimed in claim 8, the jawshaving distinct upper and lower sections spaced apart, and each sectionhaving a concave curve with sharpened points on the ends of the curve.

5. A storage battery inspection lamp having a pair of jaw structureswith sharpened edges, legs having a resilient mounting connected to saidjaws adapted to force the sharp edges into contact with batteryterminals, said connection being adapted to support the legs, and a lampconnecting device attached to the legs, such legs forming oppositeconnections to the lamp mounting.

6. A storage battery inspection lamp comprising a pair of legs, suchlegs having jaw structures at the bottom, said jaw structures being flatat their uneer surface and adapted to rest on the top of a battery celland thereby support the legs, the aws having sharpened p ints to engageand form an electrical contact with the battery terminals, the legsforming opposite electrical connections, and a lamp operativelyconnected to said legs.

7 A storage battery inspection lamp having a lamp housing, a pair ofresiliently mounted legs connected thereto, each leg having a jaw-likestructure extending outwardly therefrom and having sharpened outeredges, the aws being flat on the bottom and adapted to support the legsand housing on the upper surface of a battery cell, the legs beingstressed to press the aws outwardly into contact with battery terminals,said legs forming opposite electrical connections to the housing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 33-31 name to this specification.

IRVEN E. COFFEY.

